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In Ancient Philosophy, a seven-hour course, Dr. Orr takes us on an exploration of the rich history of ancient Greek thought, beginning with the foundational ideas of the Ionian and Eleatic schools and voyaging through the transformative philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. The…
In our introductory lecture, Dr. Orr takes us on an exploration into the origins of Western philosophy by examining the ideas of the Ionian school, including Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Heraclitus. We witness their attempts to identify the fundamental principles of reality, such as water, air, the infinite, and logos, and discuss how their ideas laid the groundwork for the development of metaphysics and epistemology in Western thought.
In lecture two, we discover the Eleatic school of thought, which emerged in Elea on the western coast of Italy, and its focus on the concept of Being as opposed to the world of Becoming. The lecture examines key figures such as Parmenides, who argued that Being is the ultimate reality and that the world of Becoming is an illusion. We also learn about Empedocles and Anaxagoras, who attempted to reconcile Parmenides' ideas with the observable world. The lecture concludes with a discussion of Pythagoras and his belief in the fundamental role of mathematics and harmony in understanding the cosmos.
In lecture three, we study the philosophy of Plato, focusing on his dialogues and the emergence of his metaphysical and epistemological ideas. Dr. Orr traces the historical and intellectual context of 5th century Athens, highlighting the influence of the sophists and Socrates on Plato's thought, and examines key dialogues such as the Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Gorgias, Meno, and Republic. We also undertake an analysis of Plato's famous Allegory of the Cave and its implications for his Theory of Forms and the nature of knowledge and reality.
In lecture four, we consider the life and philosophy of Aristotle of Stagira, a pupil of Plato who rose from the fringes of the Greek world to transform civilization at its center in Athens. The lecture explores Aristotle's wide-ranging contributions, including his metaphysics of substance and causation, his teleological view of nature, and his psychology of the soul. It also examines his ethics, centered on eudaimonia, and his politics, grounded in the concept of humans as "political animals." These ideas highlight the systematic and empirical character of his thought, which departed in significant ways from Plato's philosophy.
In lecture five, we see the emergence and key ideas of Stoicism, an influential philosophical school founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens around 300 BC. The lecture traces the historical context and intellectual lineage of Stoicism, highlighting its roots in Socratic thought and Cynicism, while also situating it within the broader philosophical landscape of the Hellenistic period. Dr. Orr elucidates that central to Stoic philosophy is the notion of living in accordance with reason and nature, cultivating inner resilience, and embracing a form of ethical universalism that recognizes the shared humanity of all people.
In our sixth and final lecture, we analyze the philosophy of Epicurus, who developed a materialist metaphysics based on the idea that all reality is reducible to indivisible atoms governed by chance. This atomistic view has implications for Epicurean ethics, religion, and politics, emphasizing detachment, egalitarianism, and a skepticism towards social hierarchies. We also extrapolate the influence of Epicurean philosophy on thinkers like Marx. Dr. Orr concludes by emphasizing the enduring relevance of ancient philosophy in questioning our modern assumptions about truth and reality.
Host
Attention please! Are you ready for an adventurous tour through the human body? With a lot of humour, our physical appearance is being introduced from head to toe along cells and organs in an educational way. The heart, blood, nerves and kidneys, each single one is a miracle which renders life possible.
Newton's Apple is an American educational television program produced and developed by KTCA, and distributed to PBS stations in the United States that ran from 1983 to 1999. The show's title is based on the rumor of Isaac Newton sitting under a tree and an apple falling near him—or, more popularly, on his head—prompting him to ponder what makes things fall, leading to the development of his theory of gravitation. The show was produced by Twin Cities Public Television. For most of the run, the show's theme song was Ruckzuck by Kraftwerk, later remixed by Absolute Music. Later episodes of the show featured an original song. An occasional short feature appeared called "Science of the Rich and Famous" in which celebrities appeared to explain a science principle.
Did you know that behind a soccer ball, glasses or a spoon lie treasures of inventiveness and thousands of years of history? Each episode of this new series looks at an object. Through its creation and its developments, through the ages and civilizations, we approach all sciences, from physics to philosophy, including history. Each object of our daily life is the result of a long process and conceals a rich history of knowledge and human adventures. Never again will you look at your stairs, your pants or a computer the same way...
Zoboomafoo is an American children's television series that aired from January 25, 1999, to April 28, 2001, and is still shown today in syndication depending on the area, and it is regularly shown on PBS Kids Sprout. A total of 65 episodes were aired. A creation of the Kratt Brothers, it features a talking Coquerel's Sifaka, a type of lemur, named Zoboomafoo, or Zoboo for short, and a collection of repeat animal guests. Every episode begins with the Kratt brothers in "Animal Junction", a peculiar place in which the rules of nature change and wild animals come to visit and play. After January 16, 2004, the show was pulled from its weekday airing on most PBS stations, though some continue to air the show.
Richard Feynman, theoretical physicist, enjoys thinking aloud about the adventures science can offer. Here he uses physics to explain how the everyday world works, such as why rubber bands are stretchy, why tennis balls can't bounce forever, and what you're really seeing when you look in the mirror.
The Really Wild Show was a long-running British television show about wildlife, broadcast by the BBC as part of their CBBC service to children. It also runs on Animal Planet in the US. The show was broadcast continuously since 21 January 1986. In April 2006 the BBC announced that the show would be axed that summer, and as such the last ever episode was shown in April 2006, giving the show a run of 20 years.
"The Illegal Trip" is an educational documental series about narcotics and people. The series explore narcotic policies, different substances, and the damage done by them without judgement. Viewers have a chance to see the behind-the-scenes of both the legal and illegal drug world, hear stories from users and dealers, as well as educate themselves on different countries' policies for lessening the damage.
